🌕 To infinity, and beyond
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🌕 To infinity, and beyond
Your selection of the very best video game music from May 2023
It was written: I spend an unhealthy amount of time on Tears of the Kingdom. And for someone who (slightly) missed out on Breath of the Wild, it reassures me about my ability to appreciate great works of our time. And what a damn joy to immerse myself in this new Zelda with my music lover's perspective.
Unfortunately for you (and for me, actually), the latest Nintendo hit won't be discussed in this edition. You know it: I don't want to share unofficial soundtracks in this newsletter. Since Big N refuses to legally release its original scores, we'll have to miss out on the fantastic compositions by Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, and Tsukasa Usui.
Before diving into this month's selection, an announcement. NOWPLAYING is going international! Not entirely satisfied with the current system of automatically translating each edition through Google, I rolled up my sleeves and launched an English edition. It doesn't change anything for you, but I wanted to share this with you.
If by any chance you receive duplicate editions (in both French and English), please go to your subscription settings and uncheck “NOWPLAYING : The VGM Newsletter” and “Les Faces B” (only leave “NOWPLAYING in english” checked).
P.S: in case you missed it, my second retrospective mixtape of 2022 is now available to replay on 8beats Radio! Exploring the wandering theme, I selected a few tracks as sweet as melancolic which invites you to escape.
The best soundtracks of may 2023
Moons of Darsalon - Daniel Manzano Salazar
PC
Moons of Darsalon, developed in Spain by Dr. Kucho
A small indie sensation from the end of last month, Moons of Darsalon is a retro action-platformer that strives to pass itself off as a forgotten title from the Commodore 64 catalog.
The music, naturally 8-bit, was composed by the game developer using a genuine MOS 6581/8580 SID chip from the illustrious aforementioned computer. It creates a truly vintage atmosphere that should nevertheless find an appreciative ear among those who enjoy electronic music in its various forms.
While it may not be the most original track on the album, how can I resist a chiptune cover of Misirlou?
(Listen to that bass, for heaven's sake!)
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Humanity - Jemapur
PC, PlayStation
Humanity, developed in Japon by Enhance
The latest project published by Enhance (REZ Infinite, Tetris Effect) sticks so closely to Tetsuya Mizuguchi's style that I convinced myself it was a first party game. But no, Humanity is the first game from THA Limited, and there's no doubt that it's destined for a bright future.
A bizarre new-age puzzle game, Humanity is often described as a Lemmings-like experience where the goal is to guide a crowd of humans from point A to point B across numerous puzzle-like levels. It's absolutely fascinating to watch.
To support this unique narrative and gameplay approach, THA enlisted the services of Jemapur, a Japanese DJ and developer who gained recognition in his homeland for his musical contributions to various exhibitions. It's worth noting that he also handles the game's sound design. Hats off to him.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
After Us - Daniel Elms
PC, PlayStation, Xbox
After Us, developed in Spain by Piccolo
A distant heir to Inside with hints of Alice: Madness Returns, After Us is undoubtedly a remarkable project in the contemporary independent landscape.
A tale as dark as it is dreamlike, the adventure of our heroine, the sole bearer of light in a desolate universe, is supported in the most beautiful way by a soundtrack of unimaginable complexity.
A true technician at heart and seasoned producer, Daniel Elms delivers here no less than 3 hours and 24 minutes of original music. Quite astonishing for an independent game, one can imagine, with a modest budget. And the best part? There's not a single track to discard. The pieces serve us delicate space ambient that can grip your throat. There's a touch of Guillaume David (Ixion) in the mix, which I find quite pleasing.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
On the Peril of Parrots - Chase Bethea
PC
On the Peril of Parrots, developed in Jamaica by SpriteWrench
Rare are the things that bring me more pleasure than launching Bandcamp late at night and immersing myself in soundtracks that come out of nowhere. And let me tell you, with a title like On the Peril of Parrots it immediately caught my attention.
Already available for a few weeks on the Epic-owned platform, the soundtrack of this quirky puzzle game with its delightful VHS aesthetic has arrived on all streaming platforms.
Humble yet sophisticated, Chase Bethea's music navigates the calm waters of bossa nova and jazz. The tracks flow naturally, and the motifs, although repetitive, have a wonderfully soothing effect. Profoundly relaxing.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Dead Island 2 - Luciano Rossi, Nick Hill, Ryan Williams, Ross Tregenza, Simon James, Konstantinos Pope, This Mother$%#!er
PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Dead Island 2, developed in the United Kingdom by Dambuster Studios
Let's be honest: no one was expecting anything from the Dead Island franchise anymore. A project as zombie-like as the game's antagonists, the title from Dambuster (previously handled by two other studios) seemed bound to fail. And yet, Dead Island 2 turns out to be a ridiculously fun FPS that is surprisingly decent. It's far from being as catastrophic as one might have imagined.
In the rich soundtrack that accompanies the game, you'll find a little bit of everything. There are pop tracks meant to accentuate the most outrageous moments, dark ambient pieces that underscore the oppressive nature of other scenes, and true gems that blend jazz and chillhop, like the track featured above.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Cook Serve Forever - Jonathan Greer
PC (early access)
Cook Serve Forever, developed in the USA by Vertigo Games
I am not familiar with the Cook Serve series, and unfortunately, it has come to my attention through a rather chaotic early access for the latest installment titled Forever. I apologize to the players, but the dish served by composer Jonathan Greer is perfectly to my taste.
To be completely honest, I did not expect to discover a genuine modern jazz album here. The 32 tracks prepared by the franchise's dedicated composer (also known for Owlboy) are rich and incredibly diverse, leaving me dizzy with delight.
One of the main highlights of this new musical endeavor is undoubtedly the songs, all performed by Greer himself. His beautiful clear vocals evoke shades of Chris Martin here and there, and sometimes even Baths, delivering a performance brimming with sincere emotion. One can almost picture the composer smiling behind the microphone while listening to "Happy With Myself," a track that could be signed by Mika (and that's a compliment)
Listen to the entire soundtrack on Bandcamp. (I reached out to Jonathan Greer and he told my he was waiting for the game to reach 1.0 before pushing his soundrack on other platforms)
Tchia: The Beach-Sides - John Robert Matz
PC, PlayStation
Tchia, developed in France by Awaceb
Yes, once again, it's Tchia. Always, Tchia! Not content with composing a soundtrack of over 60 tracks for the fantastic game by Awaceb, John Robert Matz takes on a fabulous exercise: creating ambient and highly relaxing arrangements of some of the iconic themes from the adventure game.
Cleverly titled "Beach-Sides," this new album of 29 tracks makes use of the numerous environmental samples captured by A Shell in the Pit, giving the entire collection a spa-like background music vibe. Well, as the hot weather approaches, we certainly can't complain about that!
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores - Oleksa Lozowchuk, Joris de Man, Niels van der Leest, Alexis Smith, Joe Henson
PlayStation
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores, developed in the Netherlands by Guerrilla Games
Unfortunately, quickly overshadowed by the inevitable behemoth of the month, the DLC for Horizon Forbidden West naturally comes with a new batch of outstanding music.
Once again entrusted to the skilled hands of Joris de Man, The Flight, Oleksa Lozowchuk, and Niel van der Leets, the Burning Shores soundtrack, of course, features the enchanting vocals of Julie Elven. But I also discovered some new sounds, like these incredibly soothing and immersive guitars in the track provided above. Traveling is always a given with this franchise.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Planet of Lana - Takeshi Furukawa
PC, Xbox
Planet of Lana, developped in Sweden by Wishfully
How pleasing to the eye is this Planet of Lana... and to the ears, of course. It’s written right above: the young studio Wishfully has partnered with quite a heavyweight for their first game.
If his name doesn't ring a bell, know that Takeshi Furukawa is partly responsible for the gallons of tears you probably shed while playing The Last Guardian.
A true jack-of-all-trades, who began his career on the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and whose music was also heard in the Apple TV series Mythic Quest. However, it is the distinctive musical motifs from Team Ico's latest game that can be found in the 18 tracks that make up the soundtrack of Planet of Lana.
The composer himself took the initiative to offer his services to the studio after being captivated by an artwork, as he recounts in a blog post. The chosen title, "Horizons," is accompanied by the gentle voice of Siobhan Wilson. These rare vocal incursions are precisely balanced and consistently hit the mark.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
Tin Hearts - Matthew Chastney
PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Tin Hearts, developed in the UK by Rogue Sun
A little bit of Tinykin, a touch of What Remains of Edith Finch, sprinkled with some Lemmings: that's more or less the formula of the intriguing Tin Hearts.
I must admit that Rogue Sun's game is one of those albums I started without any conviction, only to be immediately captivated. It's simple: I didn't expect something so gentle.
Somewhere between Joel Corelitz's compositions for The Last Clockwinder and Henrik Lindstrand's work for Lego Builders, Matthew Chastney delivers an emotionally stirring soundtrack, like an afternoon spent leafing through an old photo album.
Listen to the entire soundtrack on the platform of your choice.
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Vinyl news roundup
The massive wave of June’s AAA games begins with Square Enix, who have started pre-orders for the Final Fantasy XVI original soundtrack CDs. Yes, CDs. A total of eight CDs, which speaks to the length of the soundtrack. Delivery is expected in mid-July for €69.99.
Remember last month? I mentioned a new box set that included a sort of best-of compilation of Dark Souls trilogy tracks, available only through import. Black Screen has taken care of that and is offering European distribution for €79.
Speaking of FromSoftware: head over to Just For Games if you don't have your copy yet of the fantastic Bloodborne original soundtrack (€39.99).
I've never really delved into the Detroit: Become Human OST, but Limited Run has just announced the upcoming release of the third (!) volume of John Paesano's soundtrack. It's set to be released this summer for $49.99.
If, like me, you're a fan of Paul Aubry's music, don't miss out on the fantastic Airborne Kingdom vinyl. Published by Mana Wave, it's also available for pre-order at Black Screen Records or Chipfreq in Europe for €45.
If you're a fan of multiball, know that the music of Knockout City is going to be immortalized on vinyl. Unlike the game itself, which will be unplugged on June 6th. Delivery is expected this summer for just under €50.
Great news: Fangamer's European branch is finally adding some of the distributor's most sought-after vinyl releases to its catalog. We now have Undertale (€99), Hollow Knight (€45), and Hollow Knight Gods and Nightmares (€35) available!
As unexpected as it is appreciated, the release of the Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus vinyl has just been confirmed by Laced Records. It's a major work of contemporary composition that has put French artist Guillaume David on very solid ground.
For informational purposes (because it's already out of stock), iam8bit recently restocked the soundtracks for Gris and Disco Elysium. The latter also briefly appeared at Black Screen Records for about... 20 minutes?
The cult classic Gradius, published by Ship To Shore, is available for pre-order through our German friends at BSR. Delivery is expected in the fall for €40.